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Kua Bay beach Big island Hawaii
Kua Bay. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kua Bay

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

14Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Mon 2: 2 ft swell at 11 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 20 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 shollow
Energy
109kJ
Wind
SE 5 kn
Temp
26°C

Tue 3 · 13 out of 100

Swell
2 ft10 shollow
Energy
56kJ
Wind
NE 0 kn
Temp
26°C

Wed 4 · 9 out of 100

Swell
1 ft14 shollow
Energy
67kJ
Wind
WNW 3 kn
Temp
26°C

Thu 5 · 14 out of 100

Swell
2 ft13 shollow
Energy
91kJ
Wind
SSW 6 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 13 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
62kJ
Wind
SW 4 kn
Temp
26°C

Sat 7 · 11 out of 100

Swell
1 ft11 shollow
Energy
46kJ
Wind
ESE 4 kn
Temp
26°C

Sun 8 · 7 out of 100

Swell
1 ft14 shollow
Energy
37kJ
Wind
SSW 6 kn
Temp
26°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 118, too small
  2. Mon 220, too small
  3. Tue 313, too small
  4. Wed 49, too small
  5. Thu 514, too small
  6. Fri 613, too small
  7. Sat 711, too small
  8. Sun 87, too small
  9. Mon 910, too small
  10. Tue 109, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
  • Offshore: SEwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 2–10 ftof swell
  • Water 27 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for expert surfers at Kua Bay, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov18, too small2 ft15 shollow4 ft at break (est.)176kJwind from the north-east, 5 knots26°C
Mon 2Nov20, too small2 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.)109kJwind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore26°C
Tue 3Nov13, too small2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.)56kJwind from the north-east, 0 knots26°C
Wed 4Nov9, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)67kJwind from the west-north-west, 3 knots26°C
Thu 5Nov14, too small2 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.)91kJwind from the south-south-west, 6 knots26°C
Fri 6Nov13, too small2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.)62kJwind from the south-west, 4 knots26°C
Sat 7Nov11, too small1 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.)46kJwind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore26°C
Sun 8Nov7, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)37kJwind from the south-south-west, 6 knots26°C
Mon 9Nov10, too small2 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)56kJwind from the north-east, 3 knots26°C
Tue 10Nov9, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)52kJwind from the east, 1 knot, offshore25°C

Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More

Tide

  • Sun 1 NovLow 01:17 −0.2 mHigh 09:12 +0.4 mLow 16:58 −0.2 mHigh 22:47 −0.0 m
  • Mon 2 NovLow 03:01 −0.1 mHigh 10:23 +0.3 mLow 17:43 −0.2 mHigh 23:59 +0.1 m
  • Tue 3 NovLow 04:56 −0.1 mHigh 11:29 +0.3 mLow 18:19 −0.3 m

Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Map

the spot, its town, photos

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

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Photos of Kua Bay

Kua Bay Manini'owali white sand beach Big island Hawaii
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Kua Bay

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces NW (310°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (130°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kailua-Kona. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 climbing area.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,280–US$2,390 each

about US$1,280–US$2,390 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$469–US$978
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$20–US$33
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout US$1,280–US$2,390

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: 3 towns

Closest

Kailua-Kona

33 min by car · 45 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 45 places to stay in Kailua-Kona · Booking.com

About Kailua-Kona its beds, food and every spot near it

Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 19 km (about 35 min by car)

About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

Getting there: about 11h 55m

About 11h 55m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → KOA, direct, then 30 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.